brass whistle care

[rossirhodes]

I have a Burke brass pro session D whistle. It looses its shine so fast here in Missouri. Thought it might be the humidity. Does anyone have any suggestions on any type of permanent solution like having it lacquered or coated? Maybe I should just live with it and do an occasional shine. It is a great whistle.

[Makar]

There are some threads on how to 'age' your brass whistle quickly and gain a worn in patina - I suppose people want different things in the aesthetic. Personally I'd just let it do what it wants to do on its skin. I really like my brass session d and its imprint of me all round the holes and on the back. But if you like it shiny then why not - I'm sure there are threads on how to keep it that way more permanently.

cheers
Stephen

[walrii]

There are some production whistles with a laquer coating on them. On the ones I've had, the lacquer ends up lifting from the brass then your salty finger oil gets under the lacquer and makes an ugly green spot. I ended up taking the lacquer off. Without the coating, brass develops a nice patina. If you want a shiny whitle, get a chrome one like the Feadog Pro or the Blackbird. They stay shiney forever with no maintenance.

[projektio28]

Don't wreck that beautiful patina!!!

Phew! *sigh* Okay, I said it, now I can carry on...

Matt

[MTGuru]

I'm one of those heretics who also likes shiny brass whistles. And in this dry climate and in my hands with my body chemistry, brass doesn't develop a lovely patina, but something more akin to leprosy.

I mentioned my approach, polishing cloths + Simichrome, here: viewtopic.php?p=900448#p900448

I'm certainly not obsessive about it. My brass whistles have to get a bit grungy before I'll touch them up.

I wouldn't lacquer a Burke. Application is tricky, especially around the fipple and holes. You run into the problems that walrii described. And the resale value would be ruined for many people.

As an extra measure, after polishing you can try applying a coat of pure beeswax or carnauba wax. I've occasionally used Meguiar's #26 carnauba* with good results. Lasts through a week or so of heavy playing. And again, be careful around the fipple and holes. (I think the wax suggestion was courtesy of Thomas-Hastay.)

* Called "Professional Hi-Tech Yellow Wax". This is the professional auto body shop stuff in the brown bottle, not the consumer product in red. It contains no abrasives.

[Steamwalker]

I had a similar question before and I ended up turning to Flitz:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54884

[brewerpaul]

I enjoy watching the way things age: blue jeans, fine wooden furniture, etc. so I like to let nature take it's course when it comes to whistles. I never shine mine. Apart from oiling wooden whistles, the only thing I ever do is clean actual debris such as peanut butter fingerprints from the surface of an instrument.
For me, the signs of age and wear are reminders of where the whistle and I have been. We both started out shiny and new and have picked up nicks and dings along the way. Hopefully, both the whistles and I will be making sweet music for a long time to come.

[rossirhodes]

thanks for all the feedback...like fine wine my whistle will age naturally and gracefully...with me
janmarie

[Thomas-Hastay]

I suggest you apply Gilding (aka, Yellow Gold Leaf). Gold Leaf does not oxidize. The techniques for application are very easy and the Leaf is not that expensive. After burnishing/polishing, you can add an acrylic clearcoat. You have the Option of Red,Yellow or White Gold Leaf as well as Silver and Platinum.

http://www.gildedplanet.com/metalgilding.asp

[FJohnSharp]

I know it's been covered but I'm too lazy to Search--how are you all cleaning the inside of your brass whistles? I think mine needs a good reaming.

[Makar]

I know it's been covered but I'm too lazy to Search--how are you all cleaning the inside of your brass whistles? I think mine needs a good reaming.

Hydrochloric acid mixed with tabasco, I think...hmm, sorry I'm too lazy to check

[walrii]

I know it's been covered but I'm too lazy to Search--how are you all cleaning the inside of your brass whistles? I think mine needs a good reaming.

Wash with soap and warm water. Push a small wad of paper towel through with a dowel several times to swab out the grunge. Rinse and dry by running a dry wad of towel through the barrel. If warm, soapy water doesn't get it, then Makar's formula is probably called for (throw in some bleach for good measure).

Edited to add: the last sentence is just a joke. I can see the headlines now: "Earlier today, a house blew up when a musician mixed hydrocloric acid and bleach while trying to clean a whistle. Authorities are looking for someone named 'walrii' for questioning."